Blogs

Recovery of Molybdenum & Rhenium From Molybdenite Concentrates

Table of ContentsElectrooxidation Theory & PrinciplesEquipment and Operating ProcedureBipolar Cell DevelopmentLarge-Scale Electrooxidation TestsMolybdenum and Rhenium RecoveryConclusions As part of the goal to maximize minerals and metals recovery from primary domestic resources, design factors associated with minimizing current leakage in bipolar cell configurations were studied by the Bureau of Mines as a means of improving the efficiency of bipolar electrooxidation cells.

Read More »

Laboratory Filtration System

Table of ContentsFiltration by VacuumVacuum PumpMethod of Using Vacuum for FilteringWater Stills & ExtractorsTable & Rapid Filtration EquipmentWash Bottles Filtration by Vacuum The vacuum or suction arrangement shown has four openings and hence four filtrations can be made at the same time. If less than this number are ample for the work to be done, the table may be shortened

Read More »

Effect of Ion Concentrations on Uranium Absorption

Table of ContentsRaw Materials and ProcedureSolution DescriptionResin DescriptionExperimental ProcedureResults and DiscussionEffect of Carbonate ConcentrationEffect of Bicarbonate ConcentrationEffect of Chloride ConcentrationEffect of Sulfate ConcentrationEffect of Initial Resin FormConclusions The effect of various ion concentrations on uranium absorption from a sodium carbonate solution by a strong-base, anion resin was investigated by the Bureau of Mines in support of its objective to help

Read More »

Dodecyl Mercaptan Collector for Sulfide Ores

An analysis of a commercial flotation operation cannot be undertaken without considering the effectiveness and characteristics of the mineral collector. While many operations show satisfactory metallurgical performance, others are characterized by low recoveries of certain metals. Factors such as inadequate liberation, surface oxidation of sulfide minerals, or the adverse or depressing action of some modifying agents, often inhibit high recoveries.

Read More »

Determination Ionic Activities of Metal Salts in Water

Table of ContentsThermodynamic BackgroundCorrelation of ActivitiesDetermination of ActivitiesMulticomponent SolutionsProposed InvestigationsMeasurement of Vapor Pressure of WaterTranspiration MethodSolubility MethodEstimation of ActivitiesActivity Coefficients in Binary SolutionsActivity of Water in Binary SolutionsActivity Coefficients in Multicomponent SolutionsActivity of Water in Multicomponent SolutionsConcluding Remarks A thorough knowledge of thermodynamic properties of strong electrolytes is useful in leaching processes, purifying dissolved salts and precipitating out selected constituents

Read More »

Copper Ore Crushing, Grinding & Flotation

Table of ContentsCrushing and GrindingGrinding and Flotation Crushing and Grinding You will note that the Oracle Ridge project has utilized a two-stage crushing circuit with a double acting jaw crusher and cone crusher. In order to utilize this system, the jaw crusher is oversized to produce all -5 material for the cone mill with a screen in closed circuit. Normally

Read More »

Flotation Cells Design & Operating Characteristics

Table of ContentsQualitative AspectsQuantitative AspectsAir Flow Qualitative Aspects In its essentials, a flotation cell must provide for two main functions. First, it must supply air adequate in quantity and quality for satisfactory process kinetics. Air quantity can be defined on the basis of the narrow range provided in major U. S. commercial cells, for escape velocity, which averages near 1.2

Read More »

Cristobalite in Fire Clay Calcines

Table of ContentsSample CharacterizationChemical AnalysisX-ray AnalysisSEM AnalysisEffect of Heat Treatment on Cristobalite FormationEffect of Heat Cycling on Cristobalite FormationEffect of Additives on Cristobalite FormationConclusions One goal of the Bureau of Mines is to conserve the Nation’s mineral resources by developing improved performance materials. Consistent with this goal, the Bureau conducted studies on the formation of undesirable cristobalite in seven different

Read More »

Countercurrent Ion Exchange

Table of ContentsResin-In-PulpElution SystemsPacked Column ElutionFluid Bed ElutionAgitated Slurry Type Resin-In-Pulp The Federal American Contactor is currently being used by Federal American Partners, Union Carbide, and Western Nuclear. The system has a single stage per tank as in the Porter System. It is not a fluidized bed system but a system in which the resin is maintained in a slurry

Read More »

Miscellaneous Laboratory Equipment

Measuring Apparatus.—The chief forms of these are burettes, pipettes, graduated flasks, graduated cylinders and “graduates.” Burettes have already been described, and an automatic pipette was also mentioned, both in Chapter VII. For roughly measuring reagents, graduated cylinders are usually used. These may be obtained in sizes ranging from 5 cc. to several liters. A convenient form is manufactured by Whitall, Tatum

Read More »

Assay Furnaces

Table of ContentsLiquid Fuel (diesel = gasoline) Assay FurnacesCombination FurnacePortable Assay FurnacesCoal Fired Furnaces Assay furnaces are made to use three kinds of fuel—gaseous, liquid and solid. Those using gas are very little employed, usually only in city laboratories where but a few assays are made. They are, of course, very convenient when occasional assays are made, as in the laboratory

Read More »

Sample Preparation Laboratory Equipment

Table of ContentsReducing the Size of Bulk SamplesLaboratory CrushersGyratory MullerJar Mill The apparatus used to reduce samples of ore, rock, coal, minerals, etc. from the dimensions usually encountered as they are brought to the laboratory, to the fine powder necessary for the analysis, may be divided into two classes, (1) crushers and (2) pulverizers. The former are used simply to

Read More »

Electrochemical Analysis Equipment

Table of ContentsUse of the Electric Lighting CurrentGravity CellsStorage BatteriesRheostatArrangement of CellsElectrodesStandsMeasuring InstrumentsRotating Anode Electrolytic determinations are now part of the routine of many commercial laboratories and means for carrying out such work will usually be found in every well-equipped metallurgical laboratory, no matter how small it may be. In determining copper, nickel, bismuth, etc., the electrolytic methods are far

Read More »

Laboratory Water Distillation Equipment

Table of ContentsAutomatic StillsCondensing Steam from BoilersLarge StillsContainers for Distilled Water Automatic Stills For the preparation of distilled water in the laboratories, nothing are quite so handy as the automatic laboratory stills sold by various dealers in chemical supplies. One of the best forms of these is the Jewell automatic water still, another good form is the Rochlitz automatic water

Read More »

Laboratory Heating Equipment

Table of ContentsGasolene LampsStovesGas MachinesAcetyleneBurnersStoves and Hot PlatesWater-Baths and Air-Baths If the laboratory is so located that coal gas or natural gas is accessible, the problem of heating hot plates and making ignitions simply resolves itself into the use of gas stoves and burners of the simplest types, such as are familiar to every student of chemistry. When, however, the

Read More »

Analytical Balances Support & Accessories

Table of ContentsBrick Pier SupportIron Column SupportSolid Concrete SupportShelf SupportLocation of the Balance SupportBalance Support BenchBalanceAssay BalancesWeightsTorsion Balances Pans Brick Pier Support It is essential that the balance, used for analytical work, should be mounted on some firm support; as, not only does the accuracy of the weighings depend upon the freedom of the instrument from vibration and jar, but also

Read More »

Burette Stand

Table of ContentsBurette StandBurettesAutomatic Zero BuretteAppliances to Aid in Reading the BuretteCaps for BurettesPortable Burettes and SolutionsPipettesIndicator Bottles, Spot Plates, Etc Burette Stand A neat burette table is shown in Fig. 25. It is 32 inches high, 4 feet long, and 2½ feet wide. It has a shallow cupboard below and a narrow drawer. The bottom of the drawer extends

Read More »

Crucibles

Table of ContentsCrucible SupportsBlast LampAir BlastIgnitions in a Muffle FurnacePlatinum CruciblesPorcelain CruciblesCrucible Tongs In the scheme which we outlined in the opening paragraph of this section, of having a place for everything, it was stated that there should be a separate table for ignitions. The size of this table will, of course, depend on the number of ignitions which are

Read More »

Laboratory Workbench

Table of ContentsLaboratory Workbench DrawersLaboratory Desk CupboardsLaboratory Workbench ShelvesReagent Bottles Storage The one thing about a mill laboratory which is very similar to the college laboratory is the desk or laboratory workbench for general operations which is present in one form or another in every laboratory. If the desk is to be placed in the middle of the room, it

Read More »

Laboratory Fume Hood

Table of ContentsSimple Laboratory Fume Hood DesignFume Hood Concrete TopFume Hood Gas TapsFume Hood CanopyLighting the HoodMechanical Ventilation of Hoods Upon nothing does the comfort of the inmates of a laboratory so much depend as upon the hood, and it is essential that this should “draw” well in order to carry off the fumes. Simple Laboratory Fume Hood Design Fig. 4 shows

Read More »

Laboratory Sinks

Table of ContentsLab SinksWater TapsDrying Apparatus In most college laboratories and in some large industrial ones the sinks are located in the middle or at the ends of the work benches. In a small laboratory, however, it will be found more convenient to have a separate table for the sink and it will save plumbing to fit this table up

Read More »

Analytical Laboratory Design & Equipment

Table of ContentsAnalytical Laboratory General ArrangementBest Place to Build an Analytical LaboratoryAnalytical Laboratory Lighting & VentilationFloor, Walls and CeilingHeating AppliancesInterior ArrangementLaboratory for Iron and Steel WorkAssay Laboratory In designing and equipping an analytical laboratory, two aims must be kept always in mind—First, to promote accuracy, and second, to economize time and labor. Don’t make the mistake of sacrificing the former unnecessarily to the

Read More »

Cone Crusher Operating Variables

Table of ContentsCircuit and Test ProceduresData EvaluationImproved Correlation by Data SegregationGeneral Observations and Trends Although past investigations have been conducted to determine crushing relationships, no program which covered a broad range of crushing conditions had been conducted. The previous studies appear to concentrate on small segments of the overall picture and did not fullfill our desired information objectives. Due to

Read More »

Chalcopyrite Leaching by Thermophilic Bacteria

Table of ContentsMaterials and MethodsLeach Solution and MediaInoculum for Column Leach TestsOreFlask TestsColumn Leach TestsBacterial AssaysChemistrySolvent Extraction (SX) Reagent TestsLeaching ResultsOre AnalysesFlask Leach StudyColumn Leaching StudiesSolvent Extraction (SX) TestsDiscussionFlask StudyColumn Leach Studies Research in recent years has been directed toward seeking methods of metal extraction which are less labor and energy intensive, less costly in capital investment and are less

Read More »